Sacramento daily record-union., 1887-08-13
THE FEDERAL INVESTIGATION.

foiioWing is from an editorial review BY
the California Spirit of the Times of the in
vestigation by the Pacific Railroad Com
mission
The men who inaugurated and con.
structed the Central Pacific Railroad had a
Dounden right to contract for its soastruc.
tion with any one they saw fit. As they
could not obtain outside aid, they con-
strueted the road by the ratio of inversion,
py obtaining and securing it inside. and
they were entitled, and Justly so, to every
thing they made out of it. They have not
defrauded the Government oat of one
| farthing.
People here may have, from time time,
had differences with the railroad as to
rates, but there is not case in existence.
Wnere the difference was honest, that the
railroad has no6 met all the requirements
OF the case. We see no reason why there
should be any difference in the application
OF the law, so far as transactions are con-
cerned, as between corporation and an
individual
They have SO woven their names into
the grandest enterprise of modern times
that the honor accorded them by reason of
their caring, courage, perseverance, self-ab-
negauon ana integrity is imperishable, and
the remembrance of their brave deeds in
behalf OF civilization, commerce, the arts
and sciences and the laboring masses will
be green when all trace of those now en-
gaged IN mallgning and misrepresenting
them VIII be forever lost. And here let us
say few words in regard to the great army
OF workers IN their employ, representing a
payroll OF very nearly 10000 people, aver
aging five to each, being 100000 souls
directly dependent upon this great factor
In the affairs of every day life, for their
support and sustenance. 1t is a circum-
stance worth relating at this time, that in
It's entire history it never has had to
encounter strike on its roads or feeders
and not one dollar of damage has ever
accrued to any kind of its property
by reason of labor differences. In
the whole course of its existence, its
passenger trains have never been delayed
one hour by reason of labor demands; nor
its freight trains ten hours, from the same
cause. The system pays the very highest
wages to its employees, and always has since
the first spadeful of earth was turned over
IN Sacramento in 1862, down to the present
time, during which period it has paid out
in wages alone, nearly, if not quite. one
hundred millions of dollars" And this is
the institution which politicians say is in
debt to the Government. In debt to the
government 1t does not owe the Govern
AAShl u LiChCi anu put lOT ln6 DluSter,
twaddle and interested motives of scheming
and Safeguarding politicians, no such
demand would ever be considered, much
less made. In return for the credit, and
very attenuated credit at that, which the
Government loaned the Central Pacific
Railroad Company for thirty wears, it has
given it in return a new world: and in the
increased values by reason of it, upon
which the Government levies a contribu-
ton for its own support, it has paid for
itself over and over again. By reason
of the construction of the transconti-
mental railroads, thousands of millions of
values have been added to the taxable prop
erty of the country. By reason of it, un-
organized sections have drifted into organ
lied communities, and from the latter into
Territories and thence into States. By req
son OF it, star after star has been added to
the list, until now the banner is indeed
starry one. BY reason of it, new fields of
enterprise have been opened up, and the
richness therein displayed and gathered has
served to attract the attention of the uni
verse. By reason of it, civilization has ad-
vanced with the progress made by the To-
comotive, for unless it be besotted polit-
ical bigot, who is called upon TO give ex-
preston OF opinion in the matter, he will ad-
init that the railroad is the greatest civiliZer
of the world; and its motive power in that
behalf is superior to any other. By reason
of it, those sections of the country which,
while under the same rules and regulations,
were strar gers to eich other have been
brought into neighborhood relations, and
found that instead of being strangers they
were of the same family. By reason of il,
the country has prospered beyond conpa .
ison. 1t has made the workshops of
America particularly joyous in the sounds
of the various kinds of labor it has brought
into requisition, and the catechism of the
locomotive serves as a lesson to the guild
of labor that is incontrovertible, so far as
the power and usefulness of the railroad is
concerned. BY reason of it, commerce has
received an impetns that will never retrace
its steps, but will keep on advancing until
the limit OF business prosperity is reached.
BY reason of it the Pacific coast and Cali
fornia. particularly. has disappeared from
that part of the historians map which
once marked it :" undiscovered and "un-
productive" until now it is an empire;
and there is scarcely room on the present
map to give it the place to which it belongs,
by reason of its expansion. By reason of
it, education goes hand-in- hand with art
science smiles upon the inventive genius
of the age and helps to put it into practical
effect; while music, so close to the schools
of European culture and finish, beats re-
sponsive in graceful melodies. for the fa-
cilities placed at her command